$1B CRY BABY
State Roads Minister Mark Bailey says PM’s mega plan to fix the M1 is not fair. LNP pollies say he’s a ...
TRANSPORT Minister Mark Bailey has been branded a “cry baby” for refusing to stump up money that would fix gridlock on the M1. Federal and State LNP MPs blasted Mr Bailey’s failure to match Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull’s plan for both governments to tip in $1 billion each to ease crippling congestion on the motorway. “Mark Bailey is a whinger and has been a cry baby about matching funding on the M1 since the Palaszczuk Government was elected,” LNP frontbencher Ros Bates said.
TENS of thousands of Gold Coast motorists will continue the daily crawl up the M1 after the State Government refused to agree to a deal that would fix gridlock.
Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk and Transport Minister Mark Bailey yesterday rejected Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull’s pledge for both levels of government to split the $2 billion to ease congestion on the state’s busiest road.
Mr Turnbull said the Federal Government would dedicate $1 billion in next month’s budget to the Pacific Motorway, providing Premier Palaszczuk agreed to match it.
However, the State Government said it would contribute only 20 per cent of the money.
“Why is it good enough for 80 per cent funding in Brisbane and in NSW but not in the Gold Coast?” Mr Bailey said.
“It’s because there are three safe Federal LNP seats (on the Gold Coast) and so they use the funds elsewhere.
“That’s a big pot of money – it’s enough to get that section from Varsity Lakes to the border done, in conjunction with us, they need to be flexible about how that money goes out so that we can get the construction under way as quickly as we possibly can.”
The standoff means commuters will have to put up with the 90-minute grind up the M1 during peak-hour traffic, when the RACQ says it should take only 60 minutes. Experts predict it will only get worse as the population balloons.
In a statement, Mr Bailey said the State Government had already made its funding commitment to the road upgrades.
“As part of our M1 action plan released in November 2017 we committed our 20 per cent funding for the upgrade between Varsity Lakes and Tugun worth just over $1 billion – we have already funded the planning and our $206 million is now locked in.”
When the Bulletin asked Premier Palaszczuk if she would match the Turnbull Government’s pledge, a spokesman referred the paper to Mr Bailey’s statement and said: “It showed that our money is already on the table, and certainly for the projects that are next in line and ready to go as soon as the Games are finished.”
Mr Turnbull’s $2 billion plan included:
• The M1 will be widened between Varsity Lakes and Tugun from four to six lanes, with a new off-ramp built in the northbound lanes to connect with Southport-Burleigh Road.
• The motorway will be widened from six to eight lanes on the Brisbane stretch between Eight Mile Plains and Daisy Hill.
“To get people home sooner and safer is $1 billion congestion-busting dollars,” said Mr Turnbull while on the Gold Coast yesterday.
“Clearly, this project needs to be built. There is no doubt about that and Queensland has the resources.”
In a separate deal reached in March 2017, the federal and state governments agreed to spend $500 million on other areas of the M1. It included widening the motorway between Mudgeeraba and Varsity Lakes.
Work is expected to start within weeks.
In the past two years, gridlock on the state’s busiest road has worsened. Reports show commuters will lose $400 million a year in lost wages before long due to being stuck in M1 traffic.
WHY IS IT GOOD ENOUGH FOR 80 PER CENT FUNDING IN BRISBANE AND IN NSW BUT NOT IN THE GOLD COAST? IT’S BECAUSE THERE ARE THREE SAFE FEDERAL LNP SEATS (ON THE GOLD COAST) AND SO THEY USE THE FUNDS ELSEWHERE TRANSPORT MINISTER MARK BAILEY